It was another day of market turmoil and plunging share prices across the region yesterday after Chinese central bankers again devalued the yuan. This led to mayhem in Chinese stock markets, which shut barely half an hour into trading after share price falls hit their daily limit.

French police yesterday gunned down a knife-wielding man as he attacked a police station in Paris, where people were commemorating the first anniversary of an attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. The man, wearing a fake explosives vest, reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest).

Saudi Arabia's low oil price policy was calculated to hurt its rivals, including Iran, but experts say the move may be starting to backfire, as it has undercut Riyadh's ability to finance the social welfare system that the population has become used to. Cracks are starting to show in society, analysts warn.

Bookstores in Hong Kong are taking publications critical of China's Communist Party off the shelves, in the wake of the mysterious disappearance of five booksellers. Beijing has threatened at least two other publishers over political titles, an observer said.

With neither the US nor China able to articulate a compelling vision for Asia, ST associate editor (global) Ravi Velloor predicts that a sense of drift is the order of the Asian day for the foreseeable future. He surveys the big challenges ahead.

A nurse dressing baby Jeslyn Lim, who went back to Batam yesterday after being successfully treated here for a rare tumour condition. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

An Indonesian baby who was treated at KK Women's and Children's Hospital for a rare tumour condition was discharged yesterday. Jeslyn Lim, now nearly seven weeks old, went home to Batam with her parents.

Some 760 buses, or more than three quarters of a planned 1,000, have been put into service under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme. The Land Transport Authority said commuters can expect all 1,000 buses to be on the road by next year.

The new year has barely begun but one developer is keen to get the land sales ball rolling. A 2.4ha New Upper Changi Road site on the reserve list has been triggered for sale after a developer committed to a minimum bid of $320 million, says the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

LeBron James scored 34 points, but Kyrie Irving stole the show in the fourth quarter with 19 of his 32 points, as the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 in the NBA league.

The game on Wednesday was Irving's seventh after returning from kneecap surgery.

Pep Guardiola's name is set to be mentioned often for the rest of Manchester City's season, and on Wednesday, their erratic form continued with a 1-2 League Cup semi-final first-leg loss at Everton. Manager Manuel Pellegrini rued two decisions that went against them, but hopes for a 1-0 win in the second-leg to reach the final.

Madonna will not be allowed to perform religiously sensitive songs such as Holy Water at her upcoming first Singapore show at the National Stadium on Feb 28, says the Media Development Authority (MDA). An organiser said managers of the artist and the tour worked closely with MDA on content and the suggested set list for Singapore.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 08, 2016, with the headline 'What's News: January 08, 2016'. Print Edition | Subscribe

Follow ST

The Straits Times

We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.